Shambhala

CHINA; Qing dynasty

This late 19th century painting was painted according to descriptions in the Kalacakra Tantra. Shambhala is sometimes conceived of as a physical place, a mythical kingdom located somewhere north of Tibet. Alternatively, it can be thought of as a Pure Land in the human world. It is said that after King Suchandra heard the Buddha teach the Kalacakra Tantra, he established Shambhala, designed a three-dimensional mandala, and taught the tantra to his subjects. When the world is overcome by greed and ignorance, the wrathful Rudrachakrin will emerge from Shambhala, destroy the enemies of Buddhism, and lead humanity into a golden age.
In the center of the painting, the last king of the degenerative era sits within a palace and expounds the Kalacakra Tantra. He is surrounded by a circle resembling a mandala that is divided into eight sections filled with small figures that sit within shrines. In the upper register, Sakyamuni Buddha is flanked by Tsongkhapa and the Jebtsundamba, and there are Dharma protectors in the corners. A great battle is depicted in the lower register. Rudrachakrin, riding on a blue horse surrounded by flames, spears the leader of the enemy.